Happy 4th of July

The design for this patriotic bauble was insired by a 1940's candy-striped
plastic bracelet  that James de Givenchy purchased online for his daughter.

When the World Gives You Lemons, Take a Staycation



Image of NYC cityscape taken from the Williamsburg waterfront.

Located between N 6th & N 7th Streets just off East River State Park.

If you are "retired", "semi-retired", or recently came out of "retirement", there is a chance that your original summer vacation plans may have changed. Don't waste your time feeling sorry for yourself or creating some excuse about having to keep on top of your job search. Whoever you are sending that job application to checked themselves out on Thursday evening or Friday at noon. And let me tell you something, if they respond to an email, it's not going to be yours. It's out of sight, out of mind until Tuesday (or the week of July 10 if they are taking this week off.) The Pink Lady listened to her own advice and decided to take a staycation. (For those of you who are not familiar with the term "staycation" it is defined as a vacation spent in your city.) I am spending my weekend doing my favorite thing; exploring the Orchard of Style.

Freshly Picked-Williamsburg, Dinner & a Movie

Located between N 6th & N 7th Streets just off East River State Park,
 Smorgasburg, is a two-minute walk from the Bedford (L) station

I asked fellow staycationer and friend W to accompany me on my journey. We hopped on the 6 (no 4 or 5 service this weekend), transfered to the L at Union Square, and arrived in Williamsburg in under 30 minutes. First stop, Smorgasburg. Smorgasburg, is a food-lover’s bazaar. Filled with 100+ food vendors, Smorgasburg’s intention is to spread the sea of change in food consciousness by making fresh, innovative, and affordable eats available to a broad and diverse audience, and that it does.

Obscene! 
Images from Smorgasburg.

Lunch at El Almacen

Tilapia w/sweet potatoes and pine nuts,
brussels sprouts, mixed green salad, and avocado fries.

Post-Lunch Williamsburg Walkabout

One of my favorite home decor stores.
The Future Perfect's business card is tabloid size.
The presentation is as unique as the pieces they carry.

Radish, a prepared food store that offers a seasonal menu,
showcases what's "In Season Now" on a chalkboard.

Page One & Peels
We were back in Manhattan by 6:30 and headed over to the Angelika to see Page One, Inside the New York Times (See tomorrow's post for a review of this not-to-be-missed film.) followed by dinner at Peels.

Red Quinoa Salad, 3-In-1 Cream Pie,
Warm Parker House Rolls, Cheeseburger 

If you haven't eaten at Peels then you should move it to the top of your list. Located at 325 Bowery (Corner of 2nd St.), Peels is owned by Taavo Somer and Will Tigertt of the popular Freemans crew. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was chillergenic (relaxed but bustling), and the service was just as good. Peels is renown for its Build-a-Biscuit and outstanding bakery. Perhaps I will return for breakfast before Tuesday.

My First Week Out of Retirement or Learning How to Use the Office Microwave

I apologize for not posting consistently. Last Monday marked the official date that I came out of retirement and re-entered the working world. Although, my hours are more than manageable—9 AM - 5 PM or 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM with a mandatory lunch hour that must be taken anytime between 12 PM and 2 PM—it appears as if I got a bit too comfortable in my “relaxed state” because I was completely wiped out by the end of the day. We will see how I feel after week 2.

But-On-Koncept top-loading microwave.

Starting a new job—full-time or temporary—can be overwhelming. Remember how you felt on your first day of school?  Anxiety sets in before you even get there and begins with the question of “What should I wear?” (The company that I am working for has more of a relaxed-chic dress code and employees can wear jeans. I wore a pair of white AG for Calypso chords and a navy sleeveless blouse with a white-piped ruffle running down the front.)  Hopefully, you were proactive and mapped out your route a few days before and already know how long it will take you to get there. You walk into an office with a completely different security system (card, key code, or finger print) and into a room of new people and personalities. Then you must acquaint yourself with and learn a completely new set of systems. When you are settled into your office or cubicle the most important question to ask is, “Where are the bathrooms?” so you can map out your route and estimate the time it will take you to get there in case of an emergency.

Electrolux Dish 5 microwave

The Pink Lady worries about all of the above as well all but there is one additional item that I did not mention and failing to figure this one out on your first day will surely make you the topic of conversation by the water cooler for days, maybe even weeks to come. I will give you two hints. One, this skill does not relate to your job. Two, it involves knowing how to operate a certain piece of equipment and it is does not fall under the AV or IT categories. If it’s not AV or IT then what could it be?

The office microwave.

But-On-Koncept top-loading microwave in orange.

Maybe it’s just me but why is it that you can never simply press Reheat and Start for the microwave to begin the job it was programmed to do. It’s not rocket science. I own a microwave and use it every day. (It was my go-to cooking/reheating appliance before I learned how to use my gas oven and overcame my fear of it exploding in my face. I am not joking. When Madame Pink Lady helped me move into my first apartment in NYC she put the flint igniter in the broiler oven. She turned on the oven and 10 minutes later, there was smoke and flames.) I think that all office kitchens should be fitted with standard issued microwaves.

I refuse to get a smaller size cup of coffee and prefer the java from my local spot so I am one of those people that reheats the same cup of coffee several times during the day. It’s  my first day of work, noonish, and it’s time for reheat #1. I enter the office kitchen. I make my approach. I open the microwave door. I place my cup inside. I locate the menu that will tell me what number I need to press to reheat everything under the sun. I locate the number that I will need to press to reheat a BEVERAGE. I press 4. I press START. Nothing. I press START again. Nothing.  I go through this exercise a few times with no success.

IWave Cube Personal Microwave. I
could keep this unit by my desk and avoid
this situation in the future.

Out of my peripheral vision, I can see someone coming up from behind. They are toting a semi-defrosted Lean Cuisine chicken something or other. Not only are they starving and unhappy that their lunch consists of  Chicken a La but they are beginning to realize that they may not be eating their lunch any time in the near future because this idiot, the Pink Lady, is figuring out how to use the microwave during their lunch hour.
 
Suddenly, I am having déjà vu back to the first day I ever commuted. It’s the day after Labor Day and I am trying to figure out how to purchase a New Jersey Transit Pass. Unable to find the number associated with my destination or figure out which pass—one, three, seven, 10, one-month, or one-month unlimited—to purchase, I am holding up a line of people who are cursing me under their breath.
 

10 is the microwave.

Ugh! The pressure. I can feel the Lean Cuisiner’s eyes staring into my back like daggers. I start again. I press 4. I stop long enough to see 0.5 appear and an image of something that resembles a cup beside it. I press 4 again and the 0.5 changes into a 1 and the image of the cup appears to be a bit bigger. I press START. The light goes on and we have lift off. I turn around and I am now face to face with my new frenemy. “It’s my first day.” I said. I didn’t get a response but instead was given a look that said, “OK but this better not happen again.”
 
Don’t get me started on the coffee maker.

Happy Birthday Mme. Pink Lady

"One should never trust a woman who tells her real age. If she tells that, she'll tell anything."  

                                                                                                                            -Oscar Wilde

Sunday was Madame Big Apple's (the mother of Mme. Pink Lady) TH? birthday. A lady should never reveal her real age, or her mother's for that matter, but you are only as old as you feel, and my mother started taking Zumba classes last year. Need I say more?

How does my mother’s birthday relate to the terms style and the act of finding a job? Let's start with style. My past posts have described her fondness for footwear and flair for party planning. Let's move on to the word job. The hardest job in the world, according to me, is that of a mother. She may never have to hear the words “You’re fired!" or “I am very sorry to have to tell you this but we are eliminating your position as of today.”  but that is a trade off for sleepless nights, unnecessary anxiety, and the “occasional” confrontational argument.

Because of current financial restraints, I am unable to buy my mother as many birthday presents as I would like to and since we do not live in the same city, I will not be there to celebrate it with her. What I can do is show you what I would give her if things were different and as they say, it is the thought that counts. (If Harvey Weinstein options my blog for a book or movie deal, I could buy Mme. Big Apple all of this and so much more.)

Breakfast in bed.

A beautiful flower arrangement.

Calorie-free French Macarons

Tickets to the Book of Mormon

Brace Yourself

Love these oversized Hermes bracelets.
Hermes, Madison Avenue.

Brace yourselves. The Pink Lady is coming out of retirement as of this Monday. In an earlier post, I mentioned that any freelance position that requires me to be on-site will be referred to as "positions that take me out of retirement." Since this is a three-month maternity fill-in and not a permanent position, I am going to refer to this transition as "semi-retired."

I am excited to embark on my new adventure and feel very fortunate that I secured this opportunity because job listings for someone at my level, or for someone at any level for that matter, tend to slow down in the summer. A maternity fill-in is also a good test to see if both the employer and employee would be happy working together if a permanent position was to materialize. In this case, the freelancer is usually the first candidate they will consider.

I will continue to write about style and design but instead of sharing the trials, tribulations, and tales about my job search (aka coming out of retirement) I will recount the funny and interesting events of my life from the perspective of a first-time freelancer.

Don’t forget to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about The Apple of My Eye. Harvey Weinstein will never discover the Pink Lady and commission her musings for a book or movie deal unless you spread the word. Don't worry, she will never forget where she came from or thank the people who helped her get there.

A Playlist to Search to a Job To

Searching for a job can be a very tedious activity. It involves copying, pasting, attaching, and deleting copies of your resume as well as revising your cover letter to call out specific points of a job listing, all the while hoping that your Internet connection does not time out. After a few hours of doing this, you may find yourself jumping out of your seat and giving yourself a high five every time you see the words “Your application has been successfully submitted.” appear on your screen. Looking for a job is a workout in itself so if there are playlists to run, jog, and bike to, there should be a playlist to search for a job to.

As I flipped through the July issue of Self  magazine during today’s mid-morning-job-search-gym-break, I found an interesting article on page 99 entitled “Get a Rockin Body.” Followed by the sub-head,”Music may just be the ultimate trainer. Studies show it helps you to work harder and helps you fight fatigue. Harness its power with tune-up tips and exclusive moves that keep top pop stars fit. Note to pounds. Just beat it.” Since I consider searching for a job a workout, I reviewed the tune-up tips to see if they could help me improve my results.

I love this record player!

Tip 1: Music pushes your pace.

Will this help my job search? YES. The more resumes that I can fill out per hour the better but just as you should not sacrifice your form to complete more reps, make sure to remember to check for spelling errors. I tend to make stupid spelling and grammar mistakes when I am in a rush.

Tip 2: Music motivates you to keep going.

Will this help my job search? YES. If  music can keep me from getting up every 30 minutes and creating unnecessary distractions for myself I may be able to submit an additional 4-5 applications a day.

Tip 3: Music makes the work feel easier?

Will this help my job search? YES. I am all for anything that will make the arduous process of filling out a job application easier.

Tip 4: Music helps you pump iron.

Will this help my job search? MAYBE. I am not sure about this one but I guess I can type with my right hand and do pencil arm curls with my left or I could type with both hands while doing plies. I will have to try both of these exercises.

Tip 5: Music gets you grinning.

Will this help my job search? YES, and sometimes I even start singing and grooving in my desk chair.

 

Based on the above analysis, music should help me “Get a Rockin Job.” That being said, here is my Playlist to Search for a Job To. (All songs available for purchase on itunes.)

A Recipe from the Kitchen of the Recently Retired

My Saturday ritual goes a little something like this; I get up anywhere between 7 AM and 8 AM, do what it is necessary to make myself look presentable for Saturday morning viewing, and walk five blocks to the Farmer's Market where I purchase my groceries for the week.  

I have to thank my friend L for bringing this little local treasure to my attention. I have lived in my current orchard for a little less than four years and had no idea that this Saturday-only purveyor of some of the freshest regional produce, baked goods, jams, hummus, spices, flowers, and everything else you need to prepare a quick meal or host a dinner party for 10, was so conveniently located. (Although, some of the vendors are seasonal, the market is open all-year-round.)

My weekly shopping list includes a variety of fruits and vegetables that I can throw into my Breville juicer. A juicer was never on the “must-buy” list of appliances. Actually, I have never had a list with anything kitchen related on it except for paper towel. The word juicer conjured up images of me slaving over a sink cleaning it and Jack LaLanne. I was spending $7 or more a day on a 16-ounce juice. Then I Googled “Best juicer, easiest to clean” and found the Breville Compact Fountain Juicer, Model BJE200XL. After reading several positive reviews, I made my purchase. I am obsessed with my juicer and use it daily.

Preparing to juice.

A few additional tidbits of information you should know about the Pink Lady. Besides a few glasses of wine on the weekend and indulging in a large bag of movie theater popcorn (with butter) on occasion, I exercise daily, watch my diet, and do whatever is necessary to keep the wrinkles at bay. I am also a vegetarian but if that was not the case maybe I would have called this blog Prime Beef, Fresh Selections from a Purveyor of Fine Meats.  

My unexpected retirement has me cutting back in certain areas and one of those is dining out. I used to despise cooking and when I was coming home from work at 9 PM every night, the last thing I wanted to do was cook. If I did not meet friends for dinner, I was ordering in. In a previous post, I mentioned that retiring has allowed me to things that I did not have the time to before, and one of those things was cooking. Lately, the bill from the Farmer's Market has increased from approximately $30 to $50 a week but I am saving at least $200 because of my new found hobby. I am becoming quite the chef  and “bakress.” I will admit that some of my initial attempts were rather unsuccessful. For example, the cranberry pumpkin scones that you see below. They look more like flat bread than the latter but I have improved since then.

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

Asking my friends with discerning palettes to be my test kitchens, I have been told that my banana cranberry quinoa bread and pumpkin cranberry muffins are bakery-worthy. Going forward, I have decided to dedicate one post a week to cooking. Here is the first in the once-a-week feature that I like to call, Recipes from the Kitchen of the Recently Retired.

Banana Cranberry Quinoa Bread

Two medium ripe mashed bananas

1 cup vanilla soy milk or almond milk (or any other type of non-dairy milk)

1 tbsp ground flax seeds

¼ cup canola oil cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup (I prefer coconut nectar. I purchased it at my local health food store but if you cannot find coconut nectar the agave and or maple syrup works just as well.)

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour

¼ cup almond flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cardamom

1 ¼ cups cooked quinoa

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup pumpkin seeds and or slivered almonds

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Spray a 9x5-loaf pan with an organic non-stick cooking spray

3. Mix the bananas, milk, ground flax seed, canola oil, agave nectar, and vanilla extract in a bowl

4. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl

5. Add the dry and wet mixtures together and mix well

6. Pour into loaf pan

7. Bake for 60 minutes, let cool, and slice (should make 10 slices)

Banana Quinoa Cranberry Bread

Only In New York

What the taxis would look like in the Pink Lady's ideal world.
Visit http://www.portraitsofhope.org/git/index.php to read the full story
about the 2007 Gardens in Transit Program. 

Up until yesterday, the Pink Lady was not having a very fruitful week. The Norton fiasco, which I recounted to you in great detail earlier this week was one thing, but pair that with the fact that I did not have any interviews scheduled this week, and you get a Pink a Lady that was feeling like one rotten apple. That was until Wednesday afternoon when things started looking up. I received a phone call from one of the recruiters I am working with (If you would like to receive a list of the Pink Lady's Top 5 recruiting agencies, please email me at orchardofstyle@gmail.com.) and an email responding to a job application that I had submitted on Monday. By the end of the day I had two interviews scheduled for Thursday. And what does that have to do with me calling this post "Only in New York?"

This week the weather man had no misses. The forecast called for five days of steamy temperatures and that is exactly what we received. Unless you suffer from agoraphobia or your body is made up of 50% ice water, I am going to assume that you found the last few days as uncomfortable as I did, and then add a 10lb portfolio into the mix. After standing 10 minutes too long on the steamy subway platform enroute to my first interview I decided to grab a taxi for the return trip.

Great dinner plate featuring an image of an NYC taxi.
Salad plate and soup bowl available. Available at:

I don't know if the words "I love having conversations with random strangers." or "Let's make small talk; subject, your personal life." are written across my forhead but it seems as if some people do. One of them being the taxi driver from Thursday morning. It went something like this:

Taxi Driver: "I share this taxi with another driver who has been on vacation. I have not had a break for two weeks. I only drive this taxi to pay the bills. I am actually looking for a full time job and I have a job interview on Monday. I called my boss to tell him that I had to take Monday off and he had the nerve to ask me if I could wait until the other guy was back from vacation. It's an interview. I can't wait."

The taxi driver and I had something in common. We are both looking for a job. So I decided to tell him that I am also looking for a job and that I started a blog recounting the trials, tribulations, and tales associated with my job search.

Taxi Driver: "I have a blog too. Here is my card. Follow me!"

ONLY IN NEW YORK.

On the topic of tableware, I love this new collection from Hermes.

The Nanny Diaries-On Hold Until Fall

You will be happy to know that the Pink Lady’s Internet is working perfectly, thanks to Angelo from Norton, and the “getting out of retirement” program is back on track. I spent most of the morning catching up on emails, one of which was a letter from J regarding the nanny position.

Dear Pink Lady,

Although, you were our first choice, as of right now we are putting the position on hold because we are currently using their mom's nanny part time, and it seems to be working.  In addition, with M going away to sleep over camp soon, we will not need someone full time until the end of the summer.  Can I check back in with you in August to see where you are with your “getting out of retirement plans?”

All the best,

 J

I will make a note to follow up with J in August. Perhaps I will be picking up the kids from school wearing one of these three new nail colors from Chanel's Fall 2011 makeup collection. Availabe in late August 2011.

The Chanel Fall 2011 Nail Color Collection

To be or Norton 360 Premium Edition to Be?



What I would have rather been doing this morning.

Have you ever used your computer, gone to bed, and woke up the next morning only to find out that less than 24 hours later your computer is not operating properly? In addition, when that happened, did you forget to take a deep breath and instead proceed to burst into tears of frustration, and cry out “Why is this happening to me?” Well, that is exactly what happened to me this morning and that is how I reacted to said event. I then spent the next four hours trying to resolve the problem. This is not a good use of time for someone who is actively looking to come out of retirement.

I know what you are thinking. “Is the Pink Lady positive that she didn’t do anything differently?” no, not exactly. What I did do was take the necessary course of action when Norton alerted me about the recent program updates that it made to the original version of the software in order to protect its subscribers’ computers from new virus strains. The Norton pop-up box prompted me to install its new 360 Premium Edition and I followed the instructions. “If someone told you to jump off a bridge would you do that?” I know you want to ask me that question. If Norton tells you that your computer is in danger of contracting a virus then you do what Norton says to make sure that your computer doesn’t get one. I followed the instructions, restarted the computer, went to bed, and woke up this morning to find that both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome were failing to launch.

After I freaked out and partially composed myself, I hopped onto my kitchen counter to take the Norton box off of the highest shelf in the cupboard only to find out that I would have to visit the Norton website to access a customer service phone number. Why the second step? Most important, my internet is not working. How does Norton know if I have a smart phone whereby I could access this information?

I called Norton. A short computer prompt and one beep later a customer service representative picked up the phone. I explained the problem. He then proceeded to explain that the software, the new and improved Norton edition had corrupted the files on the computer and that I would have to reinstall the software. Maybe Mr. Customer Service could sense that I was about to lose it because he proceeded to inform me that I could download the new software myself or pay a nominal fee of $39.99 to have someone from the Norton family download the software onto the computer. How could I say no when I installed the software the first time and it did not turn out so well. Therefore, I am literally paying Norton to fix the problem that Norton is responsible for. He then processed the credit card payment, gave me a case number, and transferred me to the department that handles reinstallation. Angelo was the lucky customer service agent who picked up the call.

Angelo has the patience of a saint. If that is not the case, then he must have a high maintenance mother, girlfriend, and or wife because he did not sound the least bit annoyed when I asked him 100 questions about what he was doing and how long it would take, in a voice that sounded like a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He never told me to “relax” nor did he raise his voice. He continued to reassure me that everything would be OK. (I think he was referring to the computer and not me personally.) When he realized that my subscription was expiring in 49 days, he said that he had a present for me. “A refund of $39.99, the price of the cost of this call to perform a service to fix a problem that your software caused?” I said sarcastically. Ha-ha, ha, he laughed and answered “No, I am adding 90 days to your account.”  At this point, it sounds better than an Hermes scarf and I want to jump out of the phone and give Angelo a hug.

40 minutes later, Angelo had successfully removed and reinstalled the Norton 360 Premier Edition and Internet Explorer is up and running. Angelo told me that he would call later that day to make sure that the system was operating properly. We even agreed on a time, somewhere between 4:40 PM and 5:00 PM. I said, “OK”, in the same tone of voice as if I met someone I was interested in but knew that they may not be that into to me. We bid adieu.

I had to get out of my apartment and clear my head. I went to my ballet bar class and walked by the Bergdorf Goodman windows to see the innovative installations that Linda Fargo and her staff were showing this week. I think they heard about my mini-morning breakdown because the doctor’s office was open.



Bergdorf Goodman's Sigmund Freud Inspired Windows



This morning’s events were just memories best forgotten. I arrived home to find one voice message. It was from Angelo. He was trying to reach me. Two minutes later, Angelo called my cell phone. He confirmed that it was me via the six-digit secret passcode I was given in the morning. He performed a series of successful tests on the computer and ended the call by giving me his direct line in case I had any problems in the future. (This is probably because his associates told him that he would be kicked out of the carpool if he ever transferred me or a subscriber like me to them.) We then said our goodbyes for the last time as he transferred me to his supervisor so I could confirm that Angelo did his job properly. I gave Angelo a glowing review and made sure to mention that he was incredibly patient throughout my histrionics. Just when I thought that I would never hear from Angelo again, I received an email at 6:10 PM with a message telling me that I was a pleasure to work with and that the case was filed as resolved. If Angelo was a potential boyfriend, he was definitely earning points, but sadly, this was not the case.

The morals of this story are the following; protect your computer. If you detect a problem with the protection, make sure to call for back up. If you do call call Norton, ask for Angelo, and tell him the Pink Lady sent you.

Image of a phobia-themed Bergdorf Goodman
window. Do you think that there is a fear that describes
the fear of answering a phone call
from a women on the verge of a nervous breakdown?

An Engaging Party for Your Senses: The Sights, Sounds, Styles, Savories & Sweets

Dress, check. Shoes and purse, double check. Passport and Green Card, documents present. I ran through my mental packing list as I stepped into the car that would drive me to New York’s LaGaurdia airport where I would board a plane that would fly me to an undisclosed location for my sister’s engagement  party.

Stems off to Madame Big Apple (the mother of Mme. Pink Lady) for hosting the most beautiful engagement  party in celebration of my sister and her fiancé's upcoming nuptials. A flawless execution with no details left unattended to, the Saturday, May 28, party was elegant enough to impress the ladies who lunch yet casual enough for guests to relax and mingle as they enjoyed an evening of culinary creations by Toben Food by Design and scintillating sounds provided by the Noah Leibel Quartet. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in the case of my sister’s engagement party, I definetely agree. I will spare you from having to read paragraphs filled with big words describing the event of said evening and attempt to recap the evening through images. (There will still be some descriptive text.)

The Venue

My talent for producing creative events comes to me naturally via Madame Pink Lady. The party was hosted at The Richmond (location no longer undisclosed.),Toronto’s first green venue.  No plastic water bottles allowed, the Richmond keeps its environmental footprint to a minimum with the use of a waste-reduction policy, compact fluorescent light bulbs and seasonal menus. The venue is also pleasing to the eye with a loft balcony, high ceilings and soaring windows. 

The Richmond
The Noah Leibel quartet was situated on the loft balcony.

To add another layer to this jewel-of-a-find location, my mother arranged to have the walls lined with framed photos featuring my sister, her fiancée, and a very special image of his mother and father. A great use of what otherwise would have been white walls, this detail was essential in creating the relaxed atmosphere as guests were given a snapshot into their six year, cross-country courtship.

The Flowers

The Food
I realize that many people who read this blog do not live in Toronto but if you do or if you don't mind paying for a few round-trip tickets from YYZ to your local airport, then I highly recommend Toben Food by Design. TFBD's culinary creations are essentially "food art" and if we haven't seen images of their innovative and visually pleasing hors d'oeuvres, miniature desserts, and every other course in between, gracing the pages of Food & Wine magazine yet, then we will in the near future. I know. First impressions are important but did TFBD deliver? Would you expect anything less from a Le Cordon Bleu graduate who has worked in the kitchens of some of the world's most highly acclaimed restaurants? To truly experience TBDF's cuisine is to taste it but on this occasion you will not be scolded for your eyes being bigger than your stomachs.

The Style

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree nor would my family ever put the name of this blog to shame but it is obvious that we have issues when it comes to shoes. It was less than 24 hours until the festivities and my sister had not found the right shoes to wear with her Cut 25 sequin mini, Alexander Wang blouse, and the most incredible strand of pearls that you have ever seen. The pearls were an engagement present to my sister from her mother-in-law to be. (My sister hit the jackpot. Not only is she marrying her soul mate but his family owns one of Canada's foremost jewelers. Do you want to know a secret? Her fiancée will be opening up a store in Toronto in less than a month. Details and images to come.)  Crisis averted. She found the perfect pair of Louboutin's. I have never seen my sister look more beautiful. 

The Pink Lady wore diamante-embellished Badgley Mischka.
Madame Big Apple wore Jimmy Choo's Isabel in gold.
My sister wore the 120mm Prive in Pewter Christian Louboutin. 

And what did the Pink Lady wear? This post is not about me. It is about my sister. All I will tell you is that my hair was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's iconic up-do from Breakfast at Tiffany's.

My $15 tiara inspired by Audrey Hepburn's
up-do in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

This was only the engagement party. I can not wait to see what Madam Big Apple and the Mother of the Pearls have planned for the wedding.

I flew back to the Orchard of Style on Sunday to beat the Memorial Day rush. Completely exhausted, I took Memorial Day off from my getting out of retirement search to relax and grab a movie and dinner with my friends T and W. (Go see Amour Fou.) 

Coming Soon: The conclusion to the Nanny Diaries and the full story about that strange but true interview process that I went through with that yet to be named company.

Sunday's Seminal Rooms and Style Leaders

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about color blocking. It was an excerpt from a larger post that I would be writing for furnitureandhomefashion.com recapping the kick off keynote for  the D&D’s Spring Market, entitled What’s Next in Decorating?, moderated by Deborah Needleman, editor in chief of the 

Wall Street Journal‘s monthly magazine WSJ and Off Dutysection. Visit furnitureandhomefashion.com to discover who and what columnist, Sara Ruffin Costello, contributing editor and decorator David Netto, and decorator Miles Redd think are hot right now in the world of interior design.

furnitureandhomefashion.com  (guest editors not included) is written by Jordan Barkin, an Account Executive at K&A. K&A is the leading integrated marketing communications company in the home and building industry. Jordan is a business associate. We worked together when Jordan was at Veranda (before I retired). Jordan's insight into the world of interior design and his trained eye make furnitureandhomefashion.com a great resource for anyone who has a passion for interior design.

Image of designer Brian Atwood's living room in his
Miami apartment, designed by Nate Berkus.
A trend that Miles Redd is loving right now.

6 Tips for the Unemployed

Although, I may I have digressed slightly from the original intention of this blog, today’s post will focus on the trials, tribulations, tales, and tips of an unempstyled (unemployed without sacrificing style) girl in Manhattan.
In addition to planning my sister’s wedding, my mother has made my job search a priority as well. She is a very busy woman. It was the morning of May 13, 2011, and the time was somewhere after 9:00AM. My mother called me earlier that morning around 8:00 AM and I think we spoke for about 30 minutes, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw her phone number show up on call display approximately 1 hour later. “Hi mom,” I said. “I was just about to leave for the gym.” “OK,” she responded but continued with “Did you watch the last 10 minutes of Good Morning America?” “No, not really mom because you called me mid-broadcast and I couldn’t concentrate on Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and you at the same time and then I started getting ready,” I answered. “Well, they had a segment about resumes and interviews and you can see what they said if you visit abcnews.com,” my mother said in her best TV host voice a la “and if you missed any of this segment, please visit abcnews.com and type in 6 Tips for the Unemployed to get all six tips. (The exact address url is: htpp://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/tips-unemployed-13601205. A url with the word unemployed in the address. It’s good to know that ABC is using its SEO to track its traffic sources but I don’t need the word unemployed staring at me as I read an article on the subject. I am living it.)
On the advice of my mother, I entered the above url, and instead of seeing a page of text listing the 6 Tips for the Unemployed, I was greeted with a video. What more could I ask for? Watching Cynthia Shapiro, Career Strategist, reveal her 6 Tips for the Unemployed (in what appears to be one segment in a series called “What Does Somebody Have to do to Get a Job Around Here?), would be like going to a career coach but without receiving a bill for services rendered. I dashed over to my desk drawer to grab a Little Fury linkable notebook and made it back to the computer just in time for the video to start. Let’s stop here for a minute. Please read this post in full before you grab your iphone, Blackberry, notebook or scrap of paper and then I will let you be the judge of whether these tips will help you in your job search.



http://www.coolhunting.com/tech/start-here-note.php
Little Fury linkable notebook

 The 2 minute and 50 second segment (Note: 2 minutes and 50 second without the opening ad) opened with the ABC World News Special Report music. You know the music I am talking about. You recently heard it when ABC News interrupted the second to last episode of Brothers & Sisters to deliver the news about Bin Laden. Now I am thinking that I have either clicked on the wrong video or that these 6 tips must be groundbreaking. I couldn’t answer my own question just yet because the segment was introduced with a commercial from Blackberry. I don’t know who made this media buy but I think most of the people who are watching this program had their Blackberries taken away when they were laid off. I think that this would have been a great placement for Kleenex or something more appropriate like The Ladders.

From this point on this post shall be referred to as “Really with the Pink Lady.”
(Inspired by the Saturday Night Live segment “Really with Seth Myers.”)

2 minutes 50 seconds and counting  

How can I plug gaps in my resume?

You should never show gaps in your resume. It is important to make it appear as if you are always moving your career forward. Suggestions:

1. Consulting

It can be unpaid. Try giving advice to friends and family around the dinner table.

Really, Cynthia? I can confidently say that my friends and family do not want to sit around the dining room table on a Friday night listening to “my expert” opinion on that evening’s subject of conversation nor will they consider it consulting. As my father says,”Can you take it the bank? No. Then forget about it.”



http://images2.fanpop.com/images/quiz

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A memorable dinner table scene from the film Wedding Crashers.

 

2. Volunteer Work
Volunteer with an organization or association that is within your industry. Don’t disclose that it wasn’t paid or voluntarily unpaid.

Really Cynthia? Are you asking me to lie? Why can’t I tell said person that it was unpaid? Isn’t volunteer work unpaid to begin with?

If you can’t find a way to fill the gap…

3. Make it Deliberate

Never make it appear as if you were passed over or unemployable. Not working was a conscious decision. Say things like “I don’t like taking time off while I am working at a company,” or “I took some time off to do some chores around the house,” or “I went on vacation.” You can also say that you were taking some certifications. You want your resume to make it look like your decision to reenter the job market is a recent one.  



Ralphlauren.com

The bathing suit I may have purchased if I decided to go on vacation.



Really Cynthia? We are coming out of a recession. Unemployment figures are still high. The competition to find a new job is fierce. Do you think that saying “I decided to take 6 months off and vacation in Europe,” is an acceptable answer for me to use when my prospective employer asks me to explain the 4-month gap in my resume? I don’t think so. What’s wrong with saying that you wanted to take the time to find the right job? That is if your financial situation allows you to do that. If not, you may have to take the first job that comes around but that still does not justify using any of the latter suggestions on how to fill the gaps in your resume.

4. Stay Away from Going Negative

Don’t complain about the economy or your past employer. It makes you appear unsuccessful and unlucky.

Really Cynthia? If we don’t know that by now, we being, the job searchers, then we are not ready to go on any interviews at this point.

5. Practice in Front of a Mirror or with your Friends and Family or Call a Professional to Conduct a Mock Interview with You.

Maybe I will practice my interview in this Who’s the Fairest Mirror, from Anthropologie.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

Really Cynthia? There are not very many units in my apartment building and after living there for three years most of my neighbors know that at this point in time there is only one person living in my apartment, me. In addition to all of that, both of my mirrors are located close to the door. If I spend my days practicing my interview skills in front of the mirror I won’t have to worry about going on any interviews because my neighbors will call 911, and the only place I will be going to, is the loony bin.

I do agree with your comment about practicing your interview with friends. I recently did that with a friend who works in the industry that I was interviewing for a position in. She answered all of my questions and gave me some constructive feedback about my mock responses. As for the calling the professional point, I am unemployed. I can’t afford to hire a professional.

6. Tell Them What They Want to Hear. It’s Part of the Game that we play and it makes you the safest bet for hire. Even if you don’t do it perfectly, it’s going to be better than if you didn’t say anything at all.

Really Cynthia?